Page 90 of Shiny Things

“Do you want me to ask them to leave?”

“Ask all you want. I’m not leaving until I see for myself that you’re okay,” Dad insisted.

I sighed and headed for the living room to find them set up at the dining room table ready to play board games.

“Could you please just pretend there’s such a thing as privacy?” I complained.

“No such thing when it comes to family,” my dad insisted.

“How did you guys even get in here?”

“It wasn’t easy,” Andrew admitted. “You have this place locked down like Fort Knox. Had to flash my badge and threaten to come back for a fire compliance check to get anyone to even open the door for us. It’s rather impressive.”

“Safest in all of Ravenden, which is why we’re staying here and not at Kim’s house.”

“I can’t even complain about that now that you’ve gone and made an honest woman of her and all.”

“Dad!”

“Don’t bother denying it. Romeo here answered the door shirtless. We already saw it,” Andrew explained.

“It’s not a secret or anything,” Elias insisted. “But it is new.”

“Oh shit! Is that what we interrupted? No wonder you’re so grumpy, Kimmy,” Andrew said.

He knew I hated that childhood name. Only Dad ever got away with calling me that.

“We were just sleeping when you barged in,” I told him.

“In the middle of the day? Are you sick? What’s the matter? Is it from yesterday?”

“Dad, I’m fine. Stop fussing. It’s called a nap.”

“They got tired after sex and bonding and all, pops. No big deal.”

My face turned all shades of red, and I wanted to kill my brother. He wasn’t wrong, but that wasn’t the point.

“Actually, due to the tranquilizers she got hit with, the doctor said to make sure she gets plenty of rest and fluids for the next seventy-two hours. So naps are important right now,” Elias explained.

“Is that what you were doing? Napping?”

Dad reached out and punched Andrew in the arm. “Don’t be disrespectful to your sister.”

“Sorry, Kim. Can we just play already?”

Elias

Chapter 24

Clarence had just rolled the dice to start the game when there was another knock at the door.

I groaned. “Who could that be now?”

Before I could answer it, I heard the key turn over and my mother walked right in.

“Oh good, you’re awake. We brought pizza. I figured you were hungry.”

She kissed my cheek and made herself at home.

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